


Skyfall

by foxsea007



Category: Original Work
Genre: Cheating, Crimes & Criminals, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fetish Clothing, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Jealousy, Non-Consensual Voyeurism, One-Sided Relationship, Organized Crime, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Tension, Temporary Amnesia, Unconventional Relationship, Violence, Voyeurism, forced engagement
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-06 10:44:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12815844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxsea007/pseuds/foxsea007
Summary: "Let the sky fall, when it crumbles. We will stand tall, face it all together..." Three years ago, Victoria lost her fiance in a job that went horribly wrong. Attempting to pick up the pieces of her life without him, she raises her son with the help of her family. She's found in a compromising situation when the new head of the family forces her into an engagement with a rival family as a "peace offering".





	1. Prologue: To your grave I spoke

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first story on this site. Really excited for what you think! This is actually an original work of mine, so I'm curious to see how successful it becomes. It's been a while since I wrote anything I was ready to show off, so try to go easy on me! Thanks! Enjoy!

****Skyfall** **

 

****Prologue** **

_“_ _To your grave, I spoke…_ _”_

 

“I’m so sorry Victoria…”

 

Frozen in her spot, Victoria fumbled through her scattered thoughts, trying to find any words to say. Her voice was failing her. The tears began prickling at her eyes, wanting nothing more than to fall. Swallowing hard, she glanced back up at her father, who remained sitting behind his desk. She searched his robotic features for any type of remorse or any clue that this was nothing more than a horrible joke being played on her.

 

Her father’s eyes softened at the sight of his distraught daughter. “Victoria…”

 

“It’s true then?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

 

Her father nodded in response.

 

Victoria’s muscles tensed at the news of her fallen fiance. Her hands formed fists so tight that her knuckles began turning white. Her body trembled unable to process this news. She slowly felt two hands gently rest on her shoulders, trying to ease her nerves. Victoria turned quickly and buried her face in her mother’s chest, who was waiting to comfort her. Her screams echoed throughout the house as her mother tried to support her.

 

Her fiance was dead.

 

“Tori,” she murmured, trying to use her voice to soothe her daughter. “We’ll help you get through this… I promise.”

 

Victoria shook her head violently. “You don’t understand,” she cried. “Elijah can’t be dead!”

 

“Victoria,” her father said. “The explosion… everything was lost.”

 

Victoria slid out of her mother’s grip and onto the floor. Tears falling like rain from her eyes. She felt her mother kneeling next to her and pulled her into another hug. “No. No. No!” she screamed.

 

“Tori, I’m so sorry,” her mother whispered, her voice beginning to falter as well.

 

“I was going to tell him when he got home… it was supposed to be a surprise!”

 

Her father stood up from his chair and walked around his desk. The sight of his daughter so heartbroken was starting to wear at his stone-faced facade. He knelt down next to her as well.

 

Her mother pulled away, curious about what her daughter was hiding. “Tell him what?” she asked.

 

Glancing nervously at her father and mother, Victoria attempted to take a few calming breaths before speaking. She wasn’t exactly sure how her parents would take the news. “Daddy’s going to be angry,” she forced out.

 

Her mother shook her head. “No,” she said. “I promise he won’t. Right, David?”

 

Victoria’s father stiffened, being forced into a promise he wasn’t sure he could keep. But for his daughter’s sanity, he would have to promise. “I promise,” he said, calmly.

 

“What were you going to tell Elijah?” her mother probed.

 

Victoria pulled away from her mother’s embrace. She stared down at her engagement ring, her thoughts slowly moving away from the current situation. Her mind danced around the moment she had met Elijah, and exactly how much hate they had for each other. She was sixteen and stupid, and he was annoyed with babysitting a high strung teenager, although a teenager himself at the time.

 

It was her father’s attempt at keeping boys around her school with ill intentions away from her as he had for her mother years ago. Victoria, at the time, resented her father for giving her a bodyguard - never realizing how many horrible people were really out there in this world. So many people tried to take advantage of Victoria due to her beauty and her family’s wealthiness.

 

Elijah had managed to put a stop to every scumbag that had looked in her general direction. Well, that is, until that infamous homecoming dance when she and Elijah disappeared from the dance together…

 

“Victoria!” her mother yelled, pulling her daughter from her thoughts.

 

Looking at her parents once again, Victoria took a deep breath. “Please don’t hate him, Daddy.” she pleaded.

 

“I said I wouldn’t get angry,” her father replied.

 

“...I’m pregnant.”


	2. Chapter One: Something keeps me holding onto to nothing…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figured I'd give you guys the first chapter since I only posted the the Prologue first. Here you go! Enjoy.

****Skyfall** **

 

****Chapter One** **

_“Something keeps me holding onto to nothing…”_

“Victoria! Get your demon spawn off of me!”

 

Walking into the room, Victoria found her son climbing all over her brother. “Sonny… you don’t climb on your Uncle Aiden!” she said, scooping up the giggling toddler. She smiled at him, brushing his dark hair from his face. “You’re supposed to behave for your Uncle!” she said.

 

Aiden grumbled from his place on the couch. “You’re lucky I love you, sis,” he said.

 

Victoria rolled her eyes at her twin brother. “You should be happy to watch him for me! You love roughhousing with him,” she commented.

 

“Aiden! Aiden! Aiden!”

 

Victoria laughed, setting Sonny back onto the floor. With each clumsy step, he made his way back to his uncle. Aiden grinned down at the toddler, picking him back up into his arms. He bounced the kid on his knee, causing him to let out squeals of laughter.

 

Aiden laughed along with his nephew, but then suddenly glanced up at his sister. “Tor,” he whispered. “You doing okay?”

 

Her eyes saddened at the question. She knew what her brother was inquiring about. The anniversary of her fiance’s death was quickly approaching. She glanced at the engagement ring that she refused to remove, even after his death. “I’m doing fine,” she whispered to her brother. She glanced at Sonny, who was still giggling happily. His joy softened her features. “I have to,” she added. “For his sake.”

 

“If you want Sienna and me to watch him for a couple days… or mom and dad?”

 

Victoria smiled at her brother’s offer. “No. I’m fine Aiden,” she assured him. “Sonny. Let’s go get some lunch.”

 

Aiden helped Sonny to the floor. The toddler quickly made his way toward his mother, grabbing her hand as best as he could from his height. “Eat Mama!” he said, happily.

 

Victoria led her son into the kitchen and helped him up into his highchair. It seemed her mother had made extra snacks just for Sonny. Victoria shook her head, smiling, as she grabbed a plate, sorting the snacks for Sonny. She set the plate down on the highchair for him to begin snacking.

 

Sighing, Victoria sat on the island in the kitchen, watching her son eating. She never realized how much she would actually fall in love with someone other than Elijah… until she gave birth to Sonny. She also couldn’t believe just how similar Sonny looked compared to his father. She had shown her son pictures of his late father as many chances as she had over the last two years after Sonny was born.

 

…had it already been three years since Elijah was killed?

 

“Mama!”

 

Victoria blinked, looking up at her son. He was covered in juice now. “Elijah Santino Rossi!”

 

Her son merely giggled in response to the use of his full name.

 

Sighing, Victoria quickly grabbed her son out of the highchair. “Now I have to give you a bath… again,” she said, exasperated. Just like Elijah, always causing trouble. She walked into the bathroom and turned on the water to fill the tub. She undressed her son and set him into the water once the tub was full.

 

Sonny gave her an annoyed expression. “Mama. Hate baths!”

 

“Well stop being so messy and I wouldn’t have to give you a bath all the time,” she replied to her son. Sonny crossed his arms, puffing out his cheeks. Victoria laughing, poking his cheek with her finger, forcing the air out of his mouth. Sonny squealed with laughter at the sound he had made. “Oh Sonny,” she whispered, scrubbing his hair.

 

“Mama?”

 

“Yes, baby?”

 

“See daddy today?”

 

Victoria frowned at Sonny’s mention of his father. She had made it a weekly ritual to see his grave. Kissing her son’s forehead, she forced a smile on her lips. “We can go see Daddy today,” she replied, scrubbing his body now. She rinsed the soap off of her son and took him out of the bathtub. She wrapped him up in a towel. She turned a knob on the tub which caused the water to drain. She picked up her son, carrying him back to his room.

 

“No more mess,” Victoria replied, pulling out a new set of clothes for her son. Glancing back up at his mother with a mischievous look in his eyes, Sonny laughed as a response. Victoria cocked an eyebrow at her son, placing her hands on her hips. “Don’t give me that look,” she said, tickling him suddenly. “You’re no sneaky.”

 

“Victoria! Where are you?”

 

“Sonny’s room!” Victoria called out to her mother.

 

Her mother walked into Sonny’s bedroom and instantly scooped the toddler into her arms. Sonny squealed as his grandmother cuddled with him. “Did he have another bath?” she asked.

 

Sighing, Victoria nodded. “I had given him some lunch and the next thing I knew,” she explained. “He was covered in it.”

 

Victoria’s mother giggled. “You and Aiden did that a lot. Mostly Aiden,” her mother replied. “Do you need me to watch him today?”

 

“No mom,” Victoria replied, smiling. “I’m going to take Sonny up to see his father… I don’t have any shoots today.”

 

“Daddy!” Sonny interrupted, clapping his hands together.

 

Victoria’s mother kissed Sonny’s forehead. “Give your daddy a hug from me too,” she requested.

 

Sonny giggled again. “Yes, Mimi!”

 

 

Pulling up on a small, private cemetery; Victoria parked her car and glanced at Sonny in her rearview mirror. He had fallen asleep as soon as she had started her car. It had always been like this, even when he was a baby. Car rides always calmed him down and he always fell asleep quickly. She wondered if her son loved cars, much like Elijah. She turned off the ignition before stepping out of the car. She quickly unbuckled Sonny from his car seat He whined briefly before laying his head back on Victoria’s shoulder falling back to sleep.

 

“Silly you better wake up,” she whispered to him. “We’re here to see daddy.”

 

Victoria began searching through the headstones, trying to find Elijah’s. It seemed every time she visited the site, more and more people were turning up dead. More and more graves being buried… Elijah’s seemed further and further away each visit.

 

“Mama,” Sonny whispered to his mother.

 

“Yes, baby?”

 

“Daddy!” he said, pointing to Elijah’s headstone.

 

Kissing his forehead, Victoria set Sonny back onto the ground, allowing him to run around Elijah’s grave. She figured Elijah wouldn’t mind… in fact, if he were alive… He would probably be chasing him. Victoria sat on the ground and traced the letters of his name with her fingers. Her eyes saddened as she finished tracing out his name. She looked down at the date of his death, choking back tears.

 

“Has it already been nearly three years Eli?” she asked.

 

She knew he wasn’t there to hear her, but the idea of speaking to him, even like this, seemed to ease her suffering. She visited him often, spoke with him, fixed his flower arrangements constantly…

 

Sonny picked up a flower from Elijah’s arrangement. Victoria smiled at her son and motioned him to her lap. He quickly sat down and looked at the headstone.

 

“Daddy!”

 

Victoria nodded, kissing her son’s head. “Daddy loves you very much, Sonny. You know that right?”

 

He nodded, happily. “Yes, Mama.”

 

Her eyes moved back up to the headstone. “I love you, Elijah,” she said, her voice beginning to strain. It didn’t matter how many years passed, or how many times she confronted this stupid stone… Her sadness and loneliness remained. She felt tears stinging her eyes. Cursing under her breath so Sonny wouldn’t hear, she forced herself to look away from the headstone for a moment. She took a deep breath in an attempt to regain her composure and closed her eyes.

 

_“Absolutely not!”_

_“Sir… I love your daughter very much.”_

_“She’s barely twenty!”_

_“Darling,” Victoria’s mother said, interrupting the altercation happening between Elijah and her husband. She walked behind his desk and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Please try to remember. I was only nineteen when we were engaged.”_

_Her husband quickly shot an annoyed expression at his wife. “Cassidy… That was different. You know it.”_

_“Oh? How so?” she probed. “I’d be happy with Eli as my son-in-law. I told you this day was going to come, David. And look. He’s asking permission. He’s perfect for her.”_

_“I assure you. I really want to marry your daughter.” Elijah said, trying to find the strength to his voice to match his boss’s. David had always been horribly protective of his daughter. The young couple had a hard enough time to convince him to allow them to date. In fact, Elijah had to be shot protecting Victoria for him to even consider it an option._

_Cassidy smiled at Elijah. “No need to be nervous, Eli.”_

_David looked at his wife and Elijah and then to the door. “Victoria!”_

_Victoria stumbled in, who has been cracking the door in order to listen to the conversation. She blushed lightly, looking at her father. “Sorry daddy,” she whispered, rocking back and forth on her feet. “I just-”_

_“So you two already discussed this?” David said, sternly._

_Elijah winced lightly. “Informally, sir. I wanted your permission first.”_

_“Daddy,” Victoria pleaded. “Please!”_

_Cassidy grinned at her husband. “Oh let them,” she said, happily. “I think I’m ready for grand-babies!”_

_David glared at his wife, were merely giggled in response. “Cassidy,” he grumbled, crossing his arms. “You are not helping-”_

_“They want to get married and do the right thing, David,” she whispered back to them. “The least you can do is support them. I know you don’t want to let go of your little girl-”_

_David sighed, stopping his wife mid-sentence. “Victoria… is this truly what you want?”_

_“Yes,” Victoria replied, hoping her father would take her answer seriously._

_“Elijah,” he continued. “Is this what you really want?”_

_Elijah glanced at Victoria and smiled at her. “More than anything,” he answered, making Victoria’s cheeks flare from embarrassment._

_“And there’s no other reason you two are doing this? No one’s pregnant right?” David added._

_Cassidy let out an exasperated sigh. “David!”_

_“No daddy! I’m not pregnant!”_

_For a moment, David was silent as he looked at Elijah and his daughter, trying to measure the truthfulness of their statements. He let out an annoyed sigh, rubbing his temples._

_“...David,” Cassidy said, rolling her eyes. “Answer please?”_

_“...fine. You have my permission.”_

_Victoria’s blue eyes went wide with surprise as she ran to Elijah’s embrace. Elijah held tightly to her waist, spinning her around as gently as possible. Once he stopped, Victoria pounced on him with a kiss, nearly crying now from joy._

_Elijah pulled away, his cheeks tinging red now. He quickly dropped down to one knee, ready to make their engagement official… and ask her properly. “Tori,” he whispered, pulling out a small box. “Will you marry me?”_

_Victoria pounced on him again with a kiss. “Do you even have to ask?” she said, laughing. “Of course, idiot!”_

_Elijah chuckled lightly at his newfound fiancee. He opened the small, jewelry box and revealed a diamond ring inside of it. He slipped the ring onto her left, ring finger…_

“Mama!”

 

Victoria’s eyes snapped open as her son’s voice tore her from her memory. “Sorry Sonny,” she whispered, sheepishly. “What is it, baby?”

 

Sonny smiled at his mom. “I made it!” he exclaimed, pointing on the ground in front of Elijah’s headstone.

 

Victoria smiled, seeing an “arrangement” of dandelions left on the ground. “It’s beautiful. Your father would love it,” she said, rustling his hair.

 

“Mama?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Picture time?” Sonny asked, looking up at his mother with wide eyes.

 

Nodding, she pulled out her cell phone. She quickly unlocked it and went into her picture file on her phone. Another ritual her and her son had every time they visited the site. She would pull up pictures of Elijah - in hopes that when Sonny was older, he would easily recognize his father… And maybe know even just a tiny bit more about him each time they did this. She scrolled through her pictures of Sonny until she came to the first photo of her and Elijah when she was sixteen.

 

“Who’s that?” she asked, Sonny, pointing to herself in the picture.

 

“Mama!”

 

Victoria squeezed him gently. “That’s right!” she said and pointed to Elijah. “And that’s?”

 

“Daddy!”

 

This would go on for several minutes, mostly until Sonny’s attention span would give up. She smiled as he began fussing, seemingly tired now. She carried him, resting most of his weight on her hip. “Ready to go home?” she asked him Sonny nodded, laying his head back down on her shoulder. She touched the headstone and sighed. “Goodbye Eli,” she whispered. “I love you.”

 

“Byeeee daddy!” Sonny said, waving to the headstone.

 

 

As she pulled into the driveway, Victoria noticed her father, mother, and Holland; her cousin, outside in a heated discussion. Confused, Victoria stepped out of her vehicle, grabbing Sonny out of his car seat. She wondered what business they could possibly be discussing... as her father was semi-retired now from the “family business” and Aiden had taken his place. Her cousin, Holland, was forced to take over as head of the family after her uncle had been injured and no longer able to properly run the business.

 

“Holly!” Sonny yelled out, happily.

 

Holland glanced at Victoria and Sonny. “It’s Holland,” he corrected.

 

Victoria rolled her eyes. “He’s two.”

 

Holland shrugged, looking annoyed still at the conversation going on between her parents. “Tori, we need to talk,” he said, quietly.

 

“Absolutely not Holland!” Cassidy interjected, glaring at him.

  
”Aunt Cass,” he whispered. “Please, I really have no choice.”

 

Victoria furrowed her brow. “I’m confused,” she said, looking at her parents and Holland. “What’s going on?”

 

“Nothing,” David snapped, glaring at Holland as well. “Because I refuse to give permission for this.”

 

Holland’s face twitched lightly with anger. “You’re no longer my superior, Uncle David.”

 

Victoria’s eyes went wide. “Holland, that’s not very nice… what would Lainey think?” she whispered, referring to Holland’s fiancee.

 

Holland looked away from his cousin. “She’s refusing to speak to me… and I’m pretty sure this decision is going to end our engagement. We were up half the night arguing, but I have no choice, Tor. I wouldn’t do this to you if I had other options… But after the old man’s attack, I have to offer them something.” Holland explained, keeping his voice low.

 

“You actually think my brother would be okay with this!?” Cassidy shouted at him. “He would skin you alive for this! Son or not.”

 

“Mom,” Victoria said, trying to calm her mother’s anger. “Let me and Holland talk. What’s going on?”

 

Holland looked up from the ground. His eyes darted between his cousin and her son, who happily smiled back at him. “The Moretti family is requiring a peace offering between our family and theirs.”

 

“Like what… Money?”

 

Holland paused, briefly, shaking his head. Victoria studied his face, trying to see if she could uncover what he was hiding. His eyes met hers again.

 

“Tori,” he whispered. “They want you.”

 

Surprised, Victoria set Sonny down on the ground, despite his whines. He quickly ran to Cassidy, who scooped him up into her arms.

 

“They want you to marry their son.”


	3. Chapter Two: I dream you’re still here…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning. If you're triggered by sexual content, please, by all means, skip over the italicized words! Just fair warning. Thank you all who bookmarked this story so far! Means a lot! And thank you for the kudos! :D

**Skyfall**

**Chapter Two**

_“I dream you’re still here…”_

“Excuse me?!”

 

“Tor,” Holland said, putting his hands up in defense. “Trust me, I tried to talk-”

 

“TRY HARDER HOLLAND!” Victoria shouted at him, taking a step toward him. She placed her index finger on his chest. “I AM NOT A PRIZE TO BE PASSED AROUND!”

 

Holland’s eyes went wide. “Tori please-”

 

Victoria shook her head, quickly turning her body away from Holland. She was unable to stomach his face at the moment. “You know,” she hissed. “I wasn’t going to marry anyone else.”

 

“Elijah’s dead, Tori… Isn’t it time to let that go?” Holland asked, sheepishly.

 

Whipping back around, Victoria glared daggers at her cousin. “You sent him to that job,” she growled. “You KILLED him. You are the worst possible leader this family has ever had. And you think I’ll just happily offer myself as a prize for that gutter trash, Moretti?!”

 

Holland’s face twitched at her insult. “Tori just listen!”

 

“The answer is no!” Victoria yelled, grabbing her son away from her mother and storming back into the house. “Unless Elijah comes back from the dead. I am not marrying ANYONE else!”

 

Holland stormed into the house after his cousin. “You don’t have a choice. They’ve already decided. I can’t just refuse it without starting a war!” Holland argued.

 

Victoria froze for a moment, hearing she had no choice in the matter. She silently put Sonny in his room and played a movie for him. She returned to the living room and stared Holland down with her hands on her hips. “Then maybe,” she hissed at him. “You get some real balls and go to war with those pieces of shit. After what they did to your dad? You’ll sit there with your tail between your legs? Pathetic.”

 

“Tori,” Holland said, trying to keep himself from exploding. “You have to marry him. I already agreed.”

 

“WHAT!?”

 

By this time, Cassidy and David had entered the house. Cassidy pulling Victoria into the kitchen and away from her cousin. Luckily, Aiden wasn’t home or else he would be starting a fight with Holland over his sister, and David would be forced to pry him off of Holland. David sighed, looking at his nephew. “Holland,” he said, quietly. “Get out of my house.”

 

“But-”

 

“Get. Out.”

 

Holland opened his mouth to protest more but quickly stopped himself. He turned around and left the house.

 

 

Victoria sat on the couch in silence as her parents were pacing around in heated discussion. Aiden sat quietly next to his sister, taking in all the information he had missed.

 

“David,” Cassidy hissed. “You know this is ridiculous! She’s not marrying into that family!”

 

David looked at his wife. “I don’t like it any more than you do, Cassidy,” he whispered. “But… Holland made the decision without even speaking to anyone-”

 

Aiden snorted. “What an idiot,” he grumbled, crossing his arms. “He didn’t even confer with me… and I’m supposed to be his right hand. Isn’t there a family code against that Dad?”

 

David sighed. “I’m going to talk to his father…”

 

“Does anyone care what I think?” Victoria spoke up, looking at her parents.

 

Cassidy looked at her daughter. “Of course,” she said.

 

“Because I really don’t feel comfortable with another man marrying me and raising my son… And I know Elijah would hate it,” Victoria said, rubbing her eyes. “I don’t want Sonny calling anyone else his dad. I’m not okay with this. I’m not marrying him! I’ll run away before that happens.”

 

Cassidy shot her daughter a worried expression. “Please don’t run away!” she cried out. “I’ll miss my grandbaby! DAVID!”

 

David sighed, rubbing his temples. “Victoria… you’re not running away,” he said, calmly. “I’m going to figure something out.”

 

“You’re retired dad…” Aiden said, shrugging.

 

“SEMI-retired,” David corrected.

 

Aiden shrugged again, smirking at his dad for the jab at his father’s age. “I can go kill their son?” Aiden suggested.

 

“And a hit put on your head?!” Cassidy interjected. “Absolutely not. Without you, Holland’s decisions will go completely unchecked.”

 

“Mama?”

 

Victoria looked up to see Sonny peaking around the corner in the hallway. She noticed the sad expression on his face. She quickly made her way toward him and scooped him up into her arms. She hugged him tightly to her. “Sonny,” she whispered, kissing his forehead. “We’re just all talking… No one’s mad.”

 

“Mama… crying?”

 

Her blue eyes went wide and hadn’t noticed that she had been, in fact, crying. She smiled at her son. “No honey. I’m not crying,” she assured him. “Let’s get back to bed.” She carried Sonny back into his bedroom and tucked him into bed. She sat at the foot of his bed as he smiled up at her. “Get some sleep baby,” she whispered, brushing his hair out of his face. “It’s awful late.”

 

“Mama?” he asked.

 

“Yes?”

 

Sonny sat up a bit in his bed. “Mama miss daddy?”

 

Victoria swallowed hard at his question. She knew this day would come, that one day Sonny would understand why Elijah never came home… That one day Sonny would understand the meaning of loneliness. Trying to recover, she kissed him on the forehead again. “I do miss your daddy,” she whispered. “But I need you to sleep now, Sonny.”

 

Sonny seemed satisfied with his mother’s answer for now. He snuggled back down into his bed. “Goodnight Mama,” he said, letting out a huge yawn.

 

“Goodnight baby,” she whispered to him. Victoria stood up and noticed her mother standing at the door. Her expression held worry for her daughter. “He’s starting to understand,” she whispered to her mother, as tears began to slide down her cheeks. Her mother instantly pulled her into her embrace as Victoria began quietly sobbing. “He’s starting to understand that he’s not coming home… It’s like I’m losing him all over again.”

 

Cassidy felt tears in her eyes as she held tightly to her daughter. “Oh Tori,” she whispered, her voice beginning to fail her. “I’m so sorry… I wish I could take this away...” She looked over her shoulder at her husband, who was looking for a signal to step in. Cassidy shook her head. “Victoria,” she said, gently. “Let’s get you into bed.” She pulled her daughter away as gently as she could, and guided her to her bedroom.

 

Walking into her bedroom and sitting on the bed, Victoria looked at her mother. “I’m sorry I’m such a mess,” she whispered, sheepishly. She was almost embarrassed by her sudden loss of control of her emotions. She leaned her back against the headboard on the bed, bringing her knees up to her chest. “I’ve never said thank you for all the help-”

 

Cassidy quickly interrupted, smiling at her daughter. “You do not have to thank me for anything,” she said, sitting at the foot of Victoria’s bed. “You’re still  _my_ baby, and I’m always going to help the both of you. No matter what. Besides, I love that little boy.” Cassidy paused, gently comforting her daughter by moving her hair out of her face. “If Elijah had been alive, I probably would’ve backed off just a bit… because you would have him. But that’s not how it played out. You needed your father and I… and we both love you and that little boy.”

 

Victoria glanced down to the ground, taking in a deep breath. She was trying to calm her nerves.

 

“So you never need to apologize for how you feel when it comes to Elijah,” Cassidy continued. “I honestly, have no idea how you feel. I never experienced a loss like that. I can imagine… If I lost your father… I would be insane. You know being so codependent on him and all.”

 

Victoria smiled at her mother. She knew that last part was a bit of a joke to try and lighten the mood. “Seriously though, mom,” Victoria said, smiling. “I really appreciate everything you and dad did for Sonny.”

 

Cassidy stood up from the bed and headed for the door. “I know you do,” she said. “Get some sleep. I would appreciate it if you did that for me. I’ll keep my eye on Sonny so you can get a good night sleep.” Cassidy flipped off the lights and shut the door.

 

Victoria laid down, pulling the blankets tightly around her body. She began drifting off to sleep.

 

_“You are such a brat.”_

_Victoria laughed as the couple laid in bed together. The use of the strange pet name Elijah had given her alone was enough to make her laugh. She rolled onto her side, running her fingers through his hair. “How you convinced my dad to say yes is beyond me,” Victoria said, now fiddling with her ring._

_Elijah shrugged. “I think it was more of your mother’s convincing than anything. I think you were right. She can make him do anything,” he said, nearly laughing._

_Victoria giggled before kissing him gently. “I’m glad though,” she whispered. “I would’ve been heartbroken if he would’ve said no.” She laid back down on her back. Elijah quickly rolled on top of her, holding onto her tightly. She melted into the embrace, his warmth making her feel safe._

_“I told you before,” he whispered to her. “Even if he would’ve said no. I would find a way to be with you.”_

_It didn’t matter how many times he had told her the same thing… It still struck a cord in her heart. Instantly, tears began building up in her eyes as she looked up at him. He buried his face into her neck as her hand came up and raked through his hair. She felt his grip on her loosen, as his hands moved to her waist and slowly moving up her small frame._

_“Elijah…” Victoria chastised. “My parents are awake…”_

_“Oh?” Elijah said, almost surprised she was accusing him of any sort of lewd behavior. “Who said anything about that?”_

_Victoria quickly grabbed his hands with her own. “Don’t you dare start tickling me!”_

_Elijah chuckled lightly and relaxed his hands, slipping out of her grip. “It’s our first night engaged,” he said, simply. “I can’t have any fun?” He placed his hands on either side of her head, as he leered above her._

_Looking back up at him, Victoria giggled at his expression and kissed him, pulling him down on her. “You are a pig,” she commented._

_“And you love it,” Elijah whispered, running his hands down her frame again. He stopped just below the edge of her nightgown. He looked back at her face for a signal that she was okay with this. Victoria smiled up at him and pulled him in for another kiss. His hands quickly dove underneath the fabric, moving gently up her legs and stopping just below her underwear._

_Victoria felt her skin was on fire from his body heat. Her hands trailed down to the hem of his shirt, slowly pulling it off of him. She tilted her away from him as he left a trail of kisses down her jawline and then slowly moved down her neck. A small moan escaped her throat._

_“Shit.”_

_Victoria glanced at Elijah, confused. “What’s wrong?”_

_Elijah rolled off of her and searched through his jean pockets, sitting on the floor._

_“Eli?” Victoria asked again._

_Elijah let out a string of curses under his breath. “I got to go back to my room,” he said._

_“...why?”_

_Elijah groaned. “All my condoms are in my dresser.”_

_Victoria burst out laughing. “You would forget that,” she commented, giggling lightly._

_“Shut it brat!”_

_Victoria settled her laughter and straddled Elijah’s lap. Instantly, his hands went to grab her by the hips. “Do we really even need those anymore?” she asked, honestly. “I’m on birth control, and unless you’ve been sleeping with that hoe ex of yours, I’m pretty sure by now you’re clean.”_

_Elijah made an annoyed face at the mention of his ex-girlfriend. “Do not bring that whore up when I’m trying to have sex with you, Tori,” he said, flatly._

_Giggling again, Victoria leaned down and kissed him gently. “We’ll be fine,” she said. “I always take my pill right on schedule.”_

_“Are you sure?” Elijah asked, looking up at her. “You’re okay with this?”_

_Victoria smiled at him. “We’re getting married loser. Of course, I’m okay with it,” she whispered, grinding her hips into his now. Elijah let out a soft moan and quickly flipped Victoria over on her back. Victoria smirked up at him now. “Impatient much?”_

_“You are such a tease,” he hissed. He quickly ran his hands back up her nightgown, sliding down her underwear. She looked up at him, confused as to why he was moving so quickly. Elijah chuckled lightly and kissed her roughly. “I can’t be slow tonight,” he whispered, pulling away just inches from her lips._

_Victoria laughed. “Just be quiet,” she whispered. “My dad will still flip out… engaged or not.”_

_Elijah smirked back at her. “Oh shut up brat,” he mumbled to her, sliding down his boxers. He leaned down to her ear as he entered her slowly. “Does he know you call me daddy too?”_

_“Elijah!” Victoria hissed, smacking his shoulder. Her cheeks turned red at his comment._

_He chuckled lightly. “Kidding…” he whispered. It was a known fact Elijah loved to make Victoria embarrassed and would often say something off the wall to do so. He kissed her roughly and he began to increase his pace. Victoria moaned into the kiss, quickly forgetting the comment as her arms quickly pulled him closer. Her legs wrapped around his waist._

_Elijah groaned at her as he increased his pace again. He buried his face into her neck as he heard her let out a small moan of protest that he had stopped kissing her. She had to admit, this felt completely different without protection. She whimpered lightly, feeling Elijah biting her neck._

_“Faster,” she cried._

_Elijah smirked at her neck and happily obliged. He grunted lightly, feeling his climax on the rise. His hand moved under her nightgown, moving to squeeze her breast lightly. Victoria moaned again as he squeezed harder._

_“Elijah,” she whimpered. “Please.”_

_He smirked down at her for a moment. His lips quickly clashed with hers as he quickened his pace one last time. Victoria’s body squirmed under his as she felt her climax hitting its breaking point. She shuddered underneath him, moaning into the kiss. Elijah grunted as his excitement was evident now._

_“Fuck, Tori,” he groaned, laying his head against her throat. “I don’t know if I can-”_

_“It’s okay,” Victoria replied, panting as she looked up at her fiance. “You don’t have to pull out.”_

_Elijah looked shocked for a brief moment. He searched her face for a sign that she was joking. Victoria only smiled back at him, almost urging his climax now. Elijah grunted again, unable to stop himself. He buried his face into her neck again._

_“Come inside me, Elijah,” she whispered to him._

_Those words alone were enough to send Elijah over the edge. He climaxed inside of her, pulling out of her. He collapsed next to her, panting loudly. He glanced at Victoria out of the corner of his eyes. He smiled, nearly laughing now. “I hate that you know just what to say…” he mused._

Victoria shot up in bed, running her fingers through her hair. Her skin was on fire at the thought of the memory. Why had she been dreaming about THAT memory in particular? The night of their engagement… And based on her math, the night she believed she got pregnant with Sonny. Even though she took her birth control pill religiously. Two months later after that encounter, she had become increasingly ill and saw a doctor…

 

Victoria laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. “I found out I was pregnant that day,” she mused to herself. “And he left… for that stupid job.”

 

She regretted not telling him right away, maybe he wouldn’t have been so careless if he knew she was pregnant. But, she wanted to surprise him… thought it would make him happy on his return to her. “Silly me,” she whispered. “He never knew.” Victoria looked over at her nightstand and felt around for her phone. She removed it from the charger and began looking through pictures of her and Elijah. She smiled gently, reliving the memories of each picture.

 

Victoria froze, coming across a video of the two together. Judging by the time stamp on the video, she guessed she was about nineteen and he had the be about twenty-one. She hit the play button on her phone screen. She wasn’t sure when she had heard his voice last… They were laying in bed, and Elijah always had a strange fetish for always wanting to take videos or photos of her.

 

His voice echoed in her mind as the video started playing. Tears came to her eyes at the image of them laughing together. Had it really been this long since she last heard his voice? “Oh my God,” she whispered, her hand covering her mouth now. The video showed them kissing as he joked about her modeling bikinis for him… another strange fetish he had. She smacked his arm as he laughed.

 

Tears slide down her cheeks. It was like his voice haunted her mind. Swallowing hard, she forced herself to turn the video off, but couldn’t bear to delete it, despite causing her such distress. “Elijah,” she whispered, wiping her eyes. “I didn’t realize it had been that long since I heard your voice.” She didn’t understand why she was talking to him like he was in the room with her. He was gone. And maybe it was time to accept that?

 

Victoria shook her head, setting her phone back down. She stared up at the ceiling, letting her mind wander. “I need to go back to sleep,” she whispered, closing her eyes and slipping back to sleep.

 

 

Unfortunately, Victoria’s father was unable to figure out a possible saving grace to keep her from having to be engaged to Lucah Moretti… Here she sat, barely listening to him drone on and on about how great his family was. Victoria had tuned out nearly an hour ago, flipping through her social media accounts as Sonny played with his food. She had thought, maybe, bringing her child along would turn him off to the idea of marrying her.

 

“And with your modeling,” Lucah said. “It’s perfect.”

 

“Uh huh,” Victoria said, still looking at her twitter account. Victoria also checked her emails from her manager about what modeling shoots she should take. She glanced up from her phone at Lucah, faking that she was listening. A trick she had picked up as a teenager when she would go on dates with very superficial boys in her high school.

 

Lucah took a sip of his drink. “And we can discuss what you want to do about your son,” he commented.

 

Victoria tuned in at the mention of Sonny. “What?” she asked.

 

“Don’t you want to send him to boarding school?” Lucah suggested.

 

A furious expression fell on Victoria’s face. “Excuse me?” she snapped. “He is not going to boarding school.”

 

Lucah choked, realizing the mistake he had made. “I-I was just suggesting!”

 

Victoria leaned back in her chair. “Sonny is not going anywhere if you think this arrangement is going to work,” she snapped.

 

“I didn’t mean it to come across that way,” Lucah said, frowning. “It’s just a lot of wealthy families tend to send their children to boarding schools.”

 

“I wasn’t,” Victoria stated, glancing at Sonny. She moved his hair out of his face as he giggled at his mother. She could tell Sonny wasn’t very comfortable with Lucah as he was a stranger. She kissed his forehead gently. “We’ll go see daddy after this,” she assured her son. Sonny clapped at the mention of his father.

 

Lucah raised an eyebrow. “I thought-”

 

“His grave,” Victoria said, quietly. “I take Sonny there to see him. It makes him happy.” She took Sonny out of his highchair and set him on her knee. She bounced him lightly, making him giggle.

 

“Mama go now?” Sonny asked, tugging lightly at Victoria’s top.

 

Smiling at her son, she tapped him on the nose. “Soon, baby,” she whispered to him. She looked up at Lucah. “Tell me something…”

 

Lucah smiled at Victoria. It was a fake smile. “Yes, love?”

 

She flinched at those words. “Did your men kill my fiance?”

 

Lucah went silent. “Yes,” he said, calmly. “My father had made the offer to your Uncle many times before he stepped down… But he always refused. Said you were already promised.”

 

Victoria stiffened. “If you killed him because I was engaged-”

 

Lucah’s smile turned into a smirk. “Welcome to the family, Victoria. It’s not always fair,” he said, simply. “Your cousin is much more of a pushover than I thought…”

 

Standing up and gathering her things, Victoria felt ill. “I need to leave,” she snapped at him. “Sonny needs to go home.” She hated using her son as an excuse, but in order to keep her from tackling this piece of garbage, she had to leave. Victoria set Sonny on her hip.

 

“So I’ll talk to you later about wedding planning?”

 

Victoria wanted to gag at the mention of this wedding. “If I’m not busy with Sonny,” she said, quickly. She took off into the crowd of people before she found herself sick. Sonny looked up at his mother, almost with concerned eyes for such a young child. She forced a smile for him and tapped him on the nose. “Mama’s fine. Want to walk?” she said to him.

 

Sonny nodded, clapping his hands together.

 

Laughing, she set him on the sidewalk and grabbed his tiny hand in hers. “Now you hold onto mommy’s hand,” she instructed. Sonny nodded as they made their way through the crowds of people. All Victoria could think about was how happy she was to be away from that disgusting Lucah. She knew it was odd for their family to show such interest in her… her father agreed. “Oh I can’t wait until I get home and tell Daddy about this,” she mused to herself. “Uncle Andrew is going to beat Holland within an inch of his life.” Well maybe not beat him, she thought to herself. But maybe run him over with his wheelchair.

 

“Mama!”

 

Sonny’s voice pulled Victoria from her thoughts as she noticed he was fussing and pulling away from her grip. “Sonny you do not pull me like that!” she said, sternly. Sonny continued to pull until his small hand slipped out of her grip. He quickly took off into the crowd. Victoria’s eyes went wide and chased after her son. “SONNY GET BACK HERE!” she shouted.

 

Victoria was able to keep her eyesight on her son as he wasn’t exactly fast yet. He stopped hugging a man’s leg. “Sonny get away from him!” she said, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him away.

 

“No Mama! Daddy!”

 

“Sonny that is not your father now stop it!” Victoria said, sharply.

 

“...Victoria?”

 

She was frozen in place, recognizing that voice. Her eyes slowly made up the man’s frame.

 

“Oh my God,” she whispered, taking a step backward. “Elijah… you’re alive.”


	4. Chapter Three: Until you come back home...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long delay as I went back to work after posting the first few chapters while I was on vacation. This one took a bit longer now that I am back to work. But, happy with it! Thanks guys for all the kudos and bookmarks! You guys are awesome!

****Skyfall** **

****

****Chapter Three** **

__“Until you come back home…”_ _

__

__

"See Mama!” Sonny exclaimed. “It’s Daddy!”

 

Victoria couldn’t find her voice as she was face to face with her fiance. Sonny remained hugging his leg as Elijah took a small step toward her. Victoria shook her head, wildly, taking a step away for every step toward her. “This is insane!” she said, holding her head. “…I’m going to pass out.”

 

Elijah quickly raced to her side. “Tor… it’s me,” he said, quietly. He put his arm around her shoulders to support her. “God… still a brat.”

 

Victoria’s eyes went wide. “It…it is you,” she whispered, looking at his face again. The use of her nickname was enough to convince her that she wasn’t crazy. Elijah was really here… not some strange figment of her imagination.

 

“Let’s go somewhere and talk,” Elijah said, smiling at her.

 

“Daddy!”

 

Elijah looked confused at Sonny. “…who?”

 

Victoria swallowed hard. “Let’s go find somewhere we can talk… I’ve got things I need to explain as well,” she whispered. She was able to pry Sonny off of Elijah’s leg and carried him. The couple was able to find privacy in the local coffee shop. Victoria strapped Sonny into a highchair. She walked up to the barista and returned with a coffee for her and one for Elijah.

 

“You first,” Elijah said, quickly.

 

Her eyes looked at the window, trying to find the words to explain that Sonny was his son. “…this is your son,” she whispered, looking back up at him.

 

Elijah’s dark eyes widened. “M-my son?”

 

Victoria rubbed her eyes, trying to keep her emotions in check. “I found out I was pregnant when you left for that job,” she said, quietly. “I was going to make it a surprise for when you came back, but then you didn’t-”

 

“You didn’t think telling you were pregnant wasn’t something I’d like to know right away!?”

 

Victoria glared at Elijah. It figured that he would throw a fit. “You’re the one that decided to go off and DIE!” she snapped at him. “If you’ve been alive this whole time where the HELL have you been for the last three years!?”

 

Elijah’s expression softened at her outburst. He reached across the table and grabbed her hands. He squeezed her hands gently. “I was nearly dead,” he whispered. “The explosion is pretty sketchy for me to remember, even now. I remember bits and pieces. I remember something falling on my head. I could barely remember anything when I came to.”

 

“Daddy!” Sonny exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

 

Victoria couldn’t help but smile at Sonny’s outburst. “Yes,” she said to her son. “That’s right.” She watched Sonny bounce in his chair. Her eyes looked at Elijah as he watched Sonny.

 

“He looks just like me,” he commented.

 

Victoria smiled. “I know,” she said. “I always tell him that.”

 

Elijah glanced at Victoria. “You should’ve told me before I left,” he whispered.

 

Frowning again, Victoria took a deep breath. “I wanted to… but stupid me thought it would be a fun surprise for when you came home,” she explained. “I didn’t keep it from you because I didn’t want you to know. Elijah, I would never do that to you. I was actually sort of excited when I found out…”

 

“Alright,” he said. “Maybe I overreacted a little bit.”

 

Victoria smirked at his response. “You ALWAYS overreact Eli…” she added.

 

“...can I hold him?”

 

“Of course,” Victoria replied. “He’s pretty smart… I’m surprised he recognized you so quickly… He’s seen pictures but, wow.”

 

Elijah grabbed the toddler from the highchair, sitting him in his lap. Sonny smiled at Victoria, who was sitting across from him.

 

“Who is that, Sonny?” Victoria asked, pointing to Elijah.

 

Sonny giggled. “My Daddy!”

 

It was like when she would flip through pictures of Elijah. Tears came to her eyes, but she kept them at bay. She never dreamed this day would ever happen. To see Elijah holding Sonny, she thought it was hopeless to ever have them together. And now…

 

“Who’s this?” Elijah asked, pointing to Victoria.

 

Sonny looked up at Elijah and grinned. “That’s my Mama!”

 

Victoria began tearing up as she covered her mouth with her hand.

 

“Tor… don’t cry,” Elijah said, stopping his actions.

 

Shaking her head, she forced a smile. “I’m fine… I just never thought I’d get to see this,” she whispered. “Sonny’s having fun… don’t stop because I’m being a crybaby.”

 

Sonny frowned at her. “Mama, can’t be sad. Daddy’s back.”

 

Victoria wished she could explain to Sonny that sometimes people cry happy tears, and this was one of those moments. But, she knew, that he could never understand that concept so young.

 

“Sometimes,” Elijah began. “People cry when they’re happy, kid.”

 

“So Mama’s happy?”

 

Elijah smiled at Sonny. “I believe so.”

 

Tears fell down Victoria’s face as she watched the interaction between her son and Elijah. “I…I’m very happy right now, Sonny,” she assured her son, ruffling his hair. She smiled when he looked up at her giggling.

 

“You can marry Daddy now!”

 

Victoria heard Elijah let out a laugh, but it wasn’t something she was sure she could celebrate right now. All she could think about was the fact her stupid cousin had promised her hand to that horrible human being, Lucah Moretti. She knew she would have to tell Elijah… and explain this was not her choice. Her choice was always him. Always.

 

“Elijah,” she whispered, looking down at her coffee. “There’s something else I need to explain to you.”

 

“Okay?”

 

Looking up from the table, Victoria’s eyes met his. She nearly melted into his stare. She swallowed hard, forcing to look away from his gaze. “Holland,” she murmured. “Did something really stupid. Please don’t be angry with me. I had no choice and I’m trying to figure a way out of it.”

 

His hands slide across the table again, grabbing hers in his own. He gave her a gentle squeeze. “What did he do now?” he asked.

 

“He… He’s forcing me to marry Lucah Moretti,” she forced out of her mouth.

 

Silence.

 

She looked back up at him, trying to read his emotions. His face had contorted in anger, not toward her, but toward her cousin. “Elijah,” she whimpered. “Say something.”

 

“I’m going to kick Holland’s ass!” Elijah shouted.

 

* * *

 

“ELI STOP!”

 

“HE NEEDS TO HAVE HIS ASS KICKED! LITTLE PUNK!”

 

“HE’S HEAD OF THE FAMILY YOU CAN’T!”

 

“Victoria what on earth…oh my god,” her mother, Cassidy, said as she joined the scene. She stopped in her tracks upon seeing Elijah’s face. “O-oh my god… DAVID!”

 

Soon after, David walked outside of the house. “Cassidy… I’m busy with work, what’s wrong…?”

 

“LOOK!” she shouted, pointing to Elijah and Victoria stuck in a heated discussion.

 

David’s normally emotionless face seemed surprised. “Elijah…?”

 

Elijah and Victoria stopped arguing long enough to hear David’s voice. Victoria set Sonny on the ground as the toddler ran happily to his grandmother. “Daddy,” Victoria whispered. “I know this is crazy…”

 

“Hello sir,” Elijah said, quietly, embarrassed to be caught in such a petty argument with her. “I can explain everything. I swear.”

 

“Come into my office,” David said, calmly. “We’ll talk in there.”

 

Elijah and David disappeared into the house.

 

Victoria looked up at her mother. She was still unsure how to explain this to her or even to herself. It still seemed like a dream. And if it was, one she never wanted to wake up from. “This is insane,” Victoria whispered, walking toward her mother.

 

Cassidy smiled, holding Sonny safely in her arms. “Might be crazy,” she said. “But are you happy?”

 

“Ecstatic,” Victoria admitted. “You should see him with Sonny. It’s perfect.”

 

“So what happened exactly?”

 

Victoria looked away, crossing her arms over her chest. “The explosion apparently didn’t kill him,” she began. “It knocked him back I guess. He said he hit his head and had no memory of where he was. He came to at a hospital... He wanted me to know he wasn’t trying to run away from me. He just couldn’t remember me right away… And he’s been trying to get back once his memories came back…”

 

“So he didn’t tell you everything,” Cassidy said, sharply.

 

Victoria shrugged. “He sometimes keeps things from me to protect me.”

 

“I’ll get it out of your father then.”

 

“Mother!”

 

Cassidy laughed and walked into the house. Victoria followed close behind her. They walked past her father’s office, hearing David and Elijah now arguing about him punching Holland. Victoria sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. Cassidy quickly set Sonny in his high chair and gave him a bowl of food.

 

“Victoria,” Cassidy said. “Sit down and eat please.”

 

Sighing, Victoria sat at the table as her mother set a plate of spaghetti in front of her. Her nerves were keeping her from eating as much as she wanted to. Her stomach growled but her stomach did flips from her anxiety. She wondered what plan her father and Elijah had come up with to put a stop to this upcoming “wedding”. She stared down at her plate, sifting through the food with her fork.

 

“Eat,” her mother said, sharply.

 

Victoria made an annoyed expression toward her mother but starting eating her food.

 

“She was my fiancee FIRST,” Elijah yelled, coming out of the office. David following behind him. “There’s an unspoken law about that. You KNOW that David! I’m alive. She’s mine.”

 

Victoria’s eyes looked up at Elijah. “Don’t talk about me like I’m an object.”

 

Elijah sighed. “You know what I meant.”

 

David rubbed his temples. “I know Elijah. I know. But that doesn’t mean you can go and punch Holland,” he said. “He’ll have you beaten for insubordination.”

 

“But we do need to speak with Holland,” Elijah snapped.

 

Victoria stared at Elijah. “Stop yelling in front of Sonny,” she hissed.

 

Elijah looked to see his son was frowning. “I’m just… frustrated,” he said, calmly, sitting at the table.

 

“We all are,” Cassidy said. “Holland’s been nothing but a disaster since he took over.”

 

Victoria felt ill. It felt like everyone had forgotten she was the one trapped in an engagement with a scumbag from another family. She closed her eyes, trying to take some calming breaths, but her anxiety was proving too strong for it. She pushed her plate forward, signaling she was finished. She walked back into her bedroom and shut the door.

 

Maybe she was overwhelmed. The fact that her “dead” fiance had come back from the grave along with this forced marriage. She felt as if she were choking on the air she was breathing. She leaned against the wall, sliding down to the floor. Bringing her knees to her chest, she began sobbing unable to handle what was going on anymore. As happy as Elijah being alive made her, was this even real? Was she insane? Was she dreaming? Was she going to wake up tomorrow and have to still marry Lucah?

 

“Tor?”

 

It was Elijah’s voice.

 

Quickly wiping her eyes, she looked up at Elijah. “I’m fine,” she lied. “Don’t worry.”

 

He smiled gently, sitting down next to her. He put his arm around her shoulder like he had so many times in the past. He pulled her into him, resting his chin on top of her head. He stroked her hair lightly, comforting her. Victoria broke down again.

 

“It’s okay,” he murmured. “I know this is a lot to deal with.”

 

“I want to marry you!”

 

Elijah’s smile faded a bit. “And we are going to get married. I’ve never broken a promise to you, have I?”

 

She wanted to answer yes, but he was right. Even if it took three years, Elijah had still come back to her safely. “I hate when you’re right,” she whispered.

 

He grabbed her face, making her look at him. “And I’m real…” he said to her.

 

Victoria’s eyes went wide again. Tears slid down her cheeks. How was he able to read her mind so well? She brought up her hands to cover his. “I want you to tell me everything,” she whispered to him. “Why did it take you so long to come back? What made you remember me?”

 

Elijah’s eyes looked away briefly. “Are you sure you want to know?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Elijah took a deep breath. “When I came to… I was in a hospital. I had no memory, just my driver’s license. So I knew my name. I had no memory of you… the family. Anything else. Not even my own dead father,” he explained. “I got out of the hospital… tried making a life for myself in another city, near where the explosion took place. I had met another girl-”

 

“...you what?” Victoria said, sharply.

 

Elijah tucked a piece of hair behind Victoria’s ear. “Just listen first okay,” he pleaded.

 

Sighing, Victoria nodded and allowed him to continue.

 

“I had moved in with her… things apparently were normal. At least for the first two years… then I was on my way to work when I noticed a magazine stand. Something made me stop,” Elijah said, looking away from Victoria. “So I picked up the magazine and started looking through it not finding anything interesting until I came across a certain page.” He paused and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a piece of folded magazine paper and handed it to Victoria. She carefully unfolded the paper to reveal…

 

“It’s me,” she whispered. “One of my modeling shoots.”

 

Elijah grabbed her by the face again. “The minute I saw that page. Everything came back,” he said. “It was your eyes. I knew your eyes instantly. I felt terrible leaving that other girl, but… I had to come back. I loved you. I still love you.”

 

“You always hated my modeling jobs,” she commented, lightly.

 

Elijah smiled. “For once,” he said. “It was a Godsend.”

 

Victoria leaned her forehead against his. It was as if they were picking up right where they had left off. Elijah looked at her, taking an opportunity to capture her lips with his own. Victoria had almost forgotten what his kiss was like. Her arms moved to snake around his neck, pulling him closer. She felt her heart quickening pace, nearly skipping beats. It was as if nothing had changed.

 

He was the first to pull away. “Can I ask you some questions now?”

 

Victoria nodded.

 

“Have you dated anyone else since…?”

 

“No,” she replied. “I haven’t dated anyone. I was pregnant with Sonny right after the explosion. And once he was born, I was so busy with him and work. And to be honest, I didn’t really want to. I knew I couldn’t care about anyone the way I did you and that didn’t seem fair…”

 

“So how does Lucah play into all this?”

 

Victoria looked away, trying to hide how sick his name made her feel. “I’m being forced by Holland. I guess he gave him an offer and a peace offering… Which was me,” she said. “He makes me sick. He…he said he planned to kill you so he could have me to himself.”

 

“That didn’t work out so well,” Elijah said, trying to lighten the mood.

 

Victoria cracked a smile at him. “Stupid,” she said.

 

“I’m marrying you. Fuck what he has to say,” Elijah said. “You were mine first. There’s an unspoken rule about stealing someone else’s significant other. It’s grounds for me to kick Lucah’s punk ass. But that’s after I kick Holland’s ass for thinking he can just give you out like candy.”

 

Victoria kissed him quickly. “Remember what my dad said…”

 

Elijah groaned, looking up at the ceiling as if he were praying for strength. “Right… he’s head of the family now,” he said. “What happened to your uncle?”

 

Victoria frowned. “Moretti family attacked him while he was out… took out his guards… left him in a wheelchair,” she whispered. “It’s why my mom and dad are not happy with Holland’s decision. It’s a slap in the face to them to give into that stupid family.”

 

Elijah gritted his teeth, trying to hide his anger. “Why would he just give in like that… what does Lainey-”

  
”She’s refusing to speak to him… I think she’s close to calling off their wedding.”

 

“Jesus Christ,” Elijah said. “I leave for three years and everything’s fucked up.”

 

Victoria smacked his shoulder. “That was a bad joke.”

 

Elijah smiled down at her. “Feeling better now?”

 

Nodding, Victoria kissed him again.

 

“Wait until Aiden sees me again… he’ll think I’m a ghost.”


End file.
